1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the golf art and more particularly to an improved putter and golf ball arrangement useful in aligning and executing a putt in the game of golf with greater accuracy.
Throughout the history of the game of golf, players have had difficulty properly aligning a putter club head with a golf ball along an intended direction of ball travel and accurately stroking the putter club head through the ball along that direction. The ball striking surface must be perpendicular to the direction of club head travel and the club head must be moved along the precise direction line of the putt to avoid hitting the ball off-line or imparting an undesired spin to the ball. Proper putting alignment and stroke are two of the most difficult aspects of the game, while accurate putting is probably the most important requiste for a good golf score.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There have heretofore been proposed several types of markings to be placed on a golf club putter to aid in the proper alignment of the putter by a player in preparation for striking the golf ball for movement in the desired direction. Such markings have been proposed in a wide variety of forms. Probably the most common marking is a line on the upper surface of the putter club head in the direction perpendicular to the ball striking surface, and extending rearwardly therefrom. Alignment of such a marking along the intended direction of travel of the golf ball thus orients the club striking surface perpendicular to that direction of travel. Theoretically, this aids proper initial alignment of the putter club head relative to the ball and the target. However, in practice such alignment is difficult to obtain relative to an unmarked golf ball and a target cup many feet away. When a player addresses a golf ball on a putting green, he must first align the club with the ball and then rotate his head to assure that the putter is indeed also aligned with the cup. This process often requires alterations of the initial position of the putter club head after checking the alignment with the target cup. Further, the alignment finally accepted by many players is poor due to an inability to accurately perceive the true state of alignment from a position above the putter club head. It is also difficult to accurately stroke the putter club head through an unmarked golf ball such that the marking described above passes precisely along the intended direction of travel and through the point previously occupied by the center of the golf ball. A proper putt can be achieved only by such a stroke.
Marks have also been placed on the upper surface of the putter club head in a direction parallel to the ball striking surface in an attempt to facilitate initial alignment with a golf ball along an intended direction of travel. Such marks have also been incorporated in putters having lines perpendicular to the club striking surface as described above, thereby forming a "T" on the top surface of the club head. A further embellishment of this design includes separate markings at a lower point on the putter club head which are also visible from a point above the club head. Those marks are adapted to appear in a predetermined visual relationship with the marks on the top surface of the club head when a player's head is properly positioned directly above the putter club head. While useful to some extent, particularly in assuring that the player's head is properly positioned, they are of little help to a player in accurately aligning the putter club head with the ball along the intended direction of travel or in aiding him to properly stroke the putter through the ball. The initial alignment of the putter club head must still be achieved while addressing the ball with the putter club head in position and visually checking the alignment by turning ones head toward the cup and back again to the club head.